…was the opinion of the reviewer of our Summer 2019 concert.

“Billed as a programme of light music for a summer’s evening, and performed on the evening of the hottest day of the year to date, the concert certainly exceeded expectations and proved to be a wonderful way to end a glorious day of sunshine.  A celebration of light music it was a delightful, picnic of a programme with a whole range of enticing short items proving to be as frothy as a syllabub, as airy as a meringue and as sparkling as champagne while still containing a few unexpected “maggots” – for those not in the know, the old English term “maggot” refers to any whimsical idea, such as the notion of recreation of a steam train journey in music.  There are some who tend to use the term “light” in the same way that food manufacturers use the term “lite” to denote that there is something missing ie low fat or low sugar – but in relation to music this derisory sense is very much misplaced. The pieces are often short but they are rich in complexity, full of substance and drama and manage to be intensely evocative of time, mood and place in a very brief composition.  The evening’s programme certainly demonstrated all of these qualities with a range of music which wandered down country lanes, raced along rail tracks, swirled around the dance floor, idled by the shore and jigged around maypoles before urging listeners back to work. In short it was a light programme which mixed new and familiar tunes to create a glorious confection of music resulting in an uplifting and enjoyable evening with a strong feel good factor.   It also was an evening in which private moments were shared with the public, for Settle Orchestra has always had a very strong family nature.  Consequently the concert was dedicated to the memory of a former chair of the Orchestra, Cynthia Laing, and during the evening there were also special thank-you gifts for young trumpeter Ewan Hudson who will be leaving this season to begin his university career – as well as a special presentation to Ewan’s mother who has played a vital role in making the tea for every rehearsal during Ewan’s time with the orchestra!  These personal touches highlight that not only is the orchestra made up of dedicated of talented musicians they are also a group of friends who work hard to promote the accessibility of music within the community.  Without a doubt the programme showcased them at their best, with some excellent solo work – what an amazing opportunity for the timpanist and percussion section, they really were turning in a full blown bells and whistles performance – and some outstanding ensemble work.  In a night of such delights it is hard to pick a favourite, though the lively rendition of the selection of tunes from “My Fair Lady” would be hard to better, as would the exuberance of “Barwick Green” (theme tune to The Archers”) and the dream-like quality of “Sailing By” (the theme for the Shipping Forecast). With so many charming pieces to choose from, in the end choice becomes virtually impossible…”